With reference to the plectrums described above, those currently in use include thin plectrums (several tenths of a millimeter), made of various material, for example plastic materials, which have significant flexibility, which is more pronounced the softer the material used to make them is.
With respect to the possibility of achieving a faster playing speed, these plectrums are less precise and more difficult to control during playing, and they obtain a sound which is not very intense and not well defined, in particular for single notes.
Very thick plectrums are also used (up to several millimeters), also made of various material, in contrast having significant rigidity which is obtained not so much because of the consistency of the material but due to its thickness. These plectrums, although not allowing fast playing speeds, are more precise and easier to control during playing, and they obtain a sound which is very intense and well defined, in particular for single notes. These plectrums are normally made thinner at the tip to increase the playing speed, even to the detriment of the positive effects given by the rigidity of the plectrum.